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6 Common Relationship Phases (Part 2 Of 3)

Second installment on relationship phases: "Settled in and who are YOU?"

Settled into a daily routine:
This is where many relationships either learn to thrive, or die. After the initial onset of passion, love and lust, we move onto the normal process of living our daily lives. We’re able to focus once again on future goals, aspirations, other friendships and relationships outside of our romantic one. Too often people find the daily routine is the thing that kills their relationship. It’s during this phase that those little annoyances become major problems. Or you begin to wonder, "what happened to the passion and lust we once shared?" Which ultimately leads to, "why doesn’t my partner love me any more?"

When you have a solid foundation to build on, this phase is the beginning of a lifetime of joy and happiness. These couples continue to work together to find ways to keep romance alive. They know and understand what’s really important to each other and it’s easier to find ways of sustaining the friendship and the romance.

How we handle the daily routine will be key to determining which phase we move to next. How did we grow so far apart? (Or who the heck are you and what did you do with the person I fell in love with?) Or, renewed intimacy.

How did we grow so far apart? (Or who the heck are you and what did you do with the person I fell in love with?)
If you find yourself here, chances are high that you moved too quickly from the, "getting to know you phase," to passion, love and lust. Or, somewhere during the daily routine you and your partner fell out of touch or out of synch with each other.

If you have a strong foundation to build from, there are definitely steps that can be taken to help move you into renewed intimacy. However, if you find that what’s really going on here is that you skipped or skimped on the getting to know you phase, this will be more difficult.

First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the only person you can change is yourself. How you choose to show up in your relationship is entirely within your control.

So, how did you get here? Did you get so focused on your career, or raising the kids that you forgot to feed and nurture your relationship? It’s not too late! Keep Reading...

1. Using FB Excessively Has Ties To Romantic Partner Conflict

A doctoral student from University of Missouri School of Journalism found that the more someone is using Facebook then the more likely they will get into conflict with his or her partner. In the study, recipients were asked how often they used Facebook and how much conflict arose because of Facebook. Turns out that high levels of Facebook use can predict terrible outcomes like cheating, breaking up, and even divorce.

2. Your Facebook Bragging Is Doing More Harm Than Good

We get it! You're in a relationship and you want others to know that you're not lonely anymore. But updating and bragging constantly about you significant other has been shown to be more about your insecurity than happiness thanks to a recent study.

Another tidbit—a survey found that people are very much annoyed with relationship braggers. When the study's participants were asked to rank fictional profiles they said that relationship oversharers were the people they least liked.

3. It's Having A Stronger Negative Affect On Young Relationships

We have stated before that people who use Facebook a lot are more likely to get into it with their partners, but it's also having a stronger affect with young couples. A researcher from St. Mary's University found through a survey that younger couples are more susceptible to letting Facebook get in between them.

4. It Increases Jealousy

A study has found that Facebook sparks jealousy in a relationship thanks to a number of factors. After giving a survey to 308 college students, researchers found that 19.1 percent get jealous due to being able to see more information of what their partners are doing, 16.2 percent of students flat out said Facebook is a link to jealousy for them, 10.3 percent find it hard to not Facebook stalk their partners, and 7.4 percent said Facebook is ambiguous and therefore created misunderstandings with their partners.

5. Your Selfies Are Making Your Partner Feel Less Supported

It's time to really evaluate what you're sharing! Lead researcher Dr. David Houghton found that relationship partners feel less supported when their partners share more photos of friends and events than family.

6. There Is A Correlation Between Facebook And Divorce

Want a lasting marriage? Stay off of social media sites in general! At least that's the advice of a study that found that use of social media networks, especially Facebook, can be a predictor of divorce. When looking at populations, they found that a 20 percent increase of Facebook users correlated with a 2.18 percent increase in the divorce rate.

A doctoral student from University of Missouri School of Journalism found that the more someone is using Facebook then the more likely they will get into conflict with his or her partner. In the study, recipients were asked how often they used Facebook and how much conflict arose because of Facebook. Turns out that high levels of Facebook use can predict terrible outcomes like cheating, breaking up, and even divorce.